Method and apparatus for audio communication of information

ABSTRACT

A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a controller configured to obtain information associated with media content, to generate a first group of tones representative of the information associated with the media content, and to generate a media stream comprising the media content and the first group of tones; and a communication interface configured to transmit the media stream to a media device whereby the media device presents the media content and a sequence of tones, where the sequence of tones is generated based at least in part on the first group of tones, where the first group of tones comprises high frequency tones and low frequency tones, and where one of the high and low frequency tones represents a binary one and the other of the high and low frequency tones represents a binary zero. Other embodiments are disclosed.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a Continuation of and claims priority to U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 12/960,008, filed Dec. 3, 2010, the disclosure ofwhich is hereby incorporated by reference into this application as ifset forth herein in full.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure relates generally to communication systems andmore specifically to a method and apparatus for audio communication ofinformation.

BACKGROUND

Users often desire information associated with media content that isbeing presented. Obtaining the information typically requires the userto either remember the media content and later perform a search for theinformation (e.g., a web-based search) or requires the user to interrupthis or her viewing and/or listening to the media content to perform thesearch.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 depicts an illustrative embodiment of a communication system thatprovides media services;

FIG. 2 depicts an illustrative embodiment of a communication deviceutilized in the communication system of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 depicts an illustrative embodiment of a system that providesaudio communication of information;

FIG. 4 depicts an illustrative embodiment of a method operating inportions of the systems and devices described in FIGS. 1-3; and

FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic representation of a machine in the form of acomputer system within which a set of instructions, when executed, maycause the machine to perform any one or more of the methods discussedherein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present disclosure describes, among other things, illustrativeembodiments of providing information associated with media content to acommunication device via a sequence of tones presented by a mediadevice. The tones can be distinguished based on frequency, such as usinga binary code with high and low frequency tones. The sequence of tonescan also include information identifying the media device presenting themedia content. The sequence of tones can be generated based on a firstgroup of tones that are embedded in, or otherwise provided with, themedia content distributed to the media device. In one embodiment, an ORbit-wise operator can be used to combine the media device identificationwith the information associated with the media content. In anotherembodiment, a distance between the media device and the communicationdevice can also be determined based on the sequence of tones.

In one embodiment, the communication device (e.g., a smart phone) candetect the tones and can convert the tones to sequences of binary codebased on a separately defined protocol which is understood by both aremote server and the communication device. The communication device canthen send a request containing the sequences to the server whichinterprets the sequence code and responds to the communication devicewith information such as service provider description, channeldescription and program description. The server (or attached database)can also store identification information for media devices (such as inthe form of binary code which is converted into sequence of tones whenneeded). The identification information can be saved during the mediadevice provisioning process. Other embodiments are contemplated by thepresent disclosure.

One embodiment of the present disclosure includes a tangiblecomputer-readable storage medium, which includes computer instructionsat least to record an audio signal presented by a media device, wherethe audio signal includes audio content and a sequence of tones, wherethe sequence of tones is generated based on a first and second group oftones, where the first group of tones is inserted into the audio contentby a remote server prior to receipt by the media device, and where thesecond group of tones is combined with the first group of tones by themedia device. The computer instructions can also determine informationassociated with the audio content based on the first group of tones anddetermine identification information associated with the media devicebased on the second group of tones.

One embodiment of the present disclosure includes a method comprisingreceiving an audio stream at a media device, where the audio streamincludes audio content and a first group of tones, and where the firstgroup of tones represents information associated with the audio content.The method also includes generating a sequence of tones based in part onthe first group of tones, where the sequence of tones is representativeof the information associated with the audio content and isrepresentative of identification information associated with the mediadevice. The method further includes presenting the audio content and thesequence of tones.

One embodiment of the present disclosure includes a server comprising acontroller and a communications interface. The controller is configuredto obtain information associated with media content, generate a firstgroup of tones representative of the information associated with themedia content, and generate a media stream comprising the media contentand the first group of tones. The communications interface is configuredto transmit the media stream to a media device whereby the media devicepresents the media content and a sequence of tones, where the sequenceof tones is generated based at least in part on the first group oftones, where the first group of tones comprises high frequency tones andlow frequency tones, and wherein one of the high and low frequency tonesrepresents a binary one and the other of the high and low frequencytones represents a binary zero.

In one embodiment, the bandwidth of the exemplary embodiment may belimited so it may not be able to carry too much data. To mitigate thisissue, a key-URI pair can be utilized in which the key is randomlygenerated number (e.g., a 32-bit integer). This pair can be saved in abackend database or server when the content provider provisions theaudio stream (e.g., a separate tool can be used for provisioning) withtones. During this provisioning process, the key can be converted to atone sequence and carried in the audio stream. The communication devicecan detect this key and can access the server to look up the URI.

FIG. 1 depicts an illustrative embodiment of a first communicationsystem 100 for delivering media content. The communication system 100can represent an Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) media system. TheIPTV media system can include a super head-end office (SHO) 110 with atleast one super headend office server (SHS) 111 which receives mediacontent from satellite and/or terrestrial communication systems. In thepresent context, media content can represent, for example, audiocontent, moving image content such as 2D or 3D videos, video games,virtual reality content, still image content, and combinations thereof.The SHS server 111 can forward packets associated with the media contentto one or more video head-end servers (VHS) 114 via a network of videohead-end offices (VHO) 112 according to a common multicast communicationprotocol.

The VHS 114 can distribute multimedia broadcast content via an accessnetwork 118 to commercial and/or residential buildings 102 housing agateway 104 (such as a residential or commercial gateway). The accessnetwork 118 can represent a group of digital subscriber line accessmultiplexers (DSLAMs) located in a central office or a service areainterface that provide broadband services over fiber optical links orcopper twisted pairs 119 to buildings 102. The gateway 104 can usecommon communication technology to distribute broadcast signals to mediaprocessors 106 such as Set-Top Boxes (STBs) which in turn presentbroadcast channels to communication devices 108 such as computers ortelevision sets managed in some instances by a media controller 107(such as an infrared or RF remote control).

The gateway 104, the media processors 106, and the communication devices108 can utilize tethered communication technologies (such as coaxial,powerline or phone line wiring) or can operate over a wireless accessprotocol such as Wireless Fidelity (WiFi), Bluetooth, Zigbee, or otherpresent or next generation local or personal area wireless networktechnologies. By way of these interfaces, unicast communications canalso be invoked between the media processors 106 and subsystems of theIPTV media system for services such as video-on-demand (VoD), browsingan electronic programming guide (EPG), or other infrastructure services.

A satellite broadcast television system 129 can be used also in themedia system of FIG. 1. The satellite broadcast television system can beoverlaid, operably coupled with, or replace the IPTV system as anotherrepresentative embodiment of communication system 100. In thisembodiment, signals transmitted by a satellite 115 carrying mediacontent can be received by a satellite dish receiver 131 coupled to thebuilding 102. Modulated signals received by the satellite dish receiver131 can be transferred to the media processors 106 for demodulating,decoding, encoding, and/or distributing broadcast channels to thecommunication devices 108. The media processors 106 can be equipped witha broadband port to the ISP network 132 to enable interactive servicessuch as VoD and EPG as described above.

In yet another embodiment, an analog or digital cable broadcastdistribution system such as cable TV system 133 can be overlaid,operably coupled with, or replace the IPTV system and/or the satelliteTV system as another representative embodiment of communication system100. In this embodiment, the cable TV system 133 can also provideInternet, telephony, and interactive media services.

It is contemplated that the present disclosure can apply to any presentor next generation over-the-air and/or landline media content servicessystem.

Some of the network elements of the IPTV media system can be coupled toone or more computing devices 130, a portion of which can operate as aweb server for providing web portal services over an Internet ServiceProvider (ISP) network 132 to wireline devices 108 or wirelesscommunication devices 116.

Multiple forms of media services can be offered to media devices overlandline technologies such as those described above. Additionally, mediaservices can be offered to media devices by way of a wireless accessbase station 117 operating according to common wireless access protocolssuch as Global System for Mobile or GSM, Code Division Multiple Accessor CDMA, Time Division Multiple Access or TDMA, Universal MobileTelecommunications or UMTS, World interoperability for Microwave orWiMAX, Software Defined Radio or SDR, Long Term Evolution or LTE, and soon). Other present and next generation wide area wireless networktechnologies are contemplated by the present disclosure. As describedherein, media devices can be various types of devices that are capableof presenting media content and can include an STB, a television, acomputer, a mobile device, a radio and so forth.

Communication system 100 can also provide for all or a portion of thecomputing devices 130 to function as a remote server to obtaininformation associated with media content and generate a first group oftones that represent the information. The remote server 130 can usecommon computing and communication technology, such as tone generationsoftware 160, to obtain and/or generate the first group of tones. Theremote server 130 can inject, insert or otherwise provide the firstgroup of tones with media content that is to be distributed. The mediacontent can be of various forms as described above, including audioand/or video content.

The information can be various types of information related to the mediacontent, including context information. For instance, the contextinformation can identify a service provider and/or identify a channelupon which the media content is being distributed (e.g., broadcast,multicast, or unicast). In another embodiment, the context informationcan identify the media content, such as a title, actors, singers, songs,programming and so forth. For instance, identification informationassociated with audio content can include the title of a song and theprogramming in which the song is being played. Other context informationis also contemplated by the present disclosure, such as mediaparameters, including identifying High Definition content,three-dimensional content and so forth. In another embodiment, theinformation can be access information, such as identifying a uniformresource identification that can be used for accessing the media content(e.g., at a later time) and/or accessing information related to themedia content, including ancillary information such as goods or servicesassociated with the media content, actors/singers biographies, relatedmedia content (e.g., movies in the same genre) and so forth.

In another embodiment, the media processor 106 can receive the audiostream from remote server 130 and can generate a second group of tones,such as through use of tone software 165. The second group of tones canrepresent identification information associated with the media processor106. The media processor 106 can inject, insert or otherwise provide thesecond group of tones with media content and the first group of tones.In one embodiment, the media processor can utilize Boolean operators(e.g., a component functioning as an OR bit-wise operator) to generate asequence of tones based on the first and second group of tones. However,the present disclosure contemplates generating the tones which combinethe various information using other techniques, including other Booleanoperators (e.g., an AND bit-wise operator).

The media processor 106 can then present the media content, along withthe first and second groups of tones. The present disclosurecontemplates the media processor 106 being various types of devices thatcan present or otherwise playback media content, including an STB, atelevision, a computer, a radio, a mobile device (e.g., a mobile phone)a PDA and so forth. While this exemplary embodiment describes generatingand presenting the second group of tones, it is also contemplated thatthe media processor 106 can present the media content and the firstgroup of tones without generating or presenting the second group oftones.

In one embodiment, communication device 116 can include tone translationsoftware 170 that allows the devices to recognize the tones that arebeing emitted from the media processor or a device coupled with themedia processor (e.g., television speakers). It should be understoodthat the present disclosure contemplates the communication devicerecognizing audio signals which are being presented or emitted from themedia devices (e.g., media processor 106, television 108 and so forth)along with the audio content (e.g., speech in a movie, a song and soforth). The presentation of the tones and the audio content is viapresentation components coupled with the media devices, including audiospeakers. The communication device 116 can determine the information(e.g., context information and/or identification information) based onthe first and second groups of tones. For example, the communicationdevice 116 can record an audio signal emitted from a television setwhere the audio signal includes audio content, the first group of tonesand the second group of tones. The communication device 116 can thenprocess the first and second groups of tones to determine the contextinformation and/or the identification information.

In one embodiment, the tones can be distinguished based on differentfrequencies. For example, high frequency tones (e.g., tones within afirst predetermined range of frequencies) can represent a binary one andlow frequency tones (e.g., tones within a second predetermined range offrequencies) can represent a binary zero. The tones can then beprocessed utilizing binary algorithms. The particular frequencies usedfor the high and low frequency tones can vary. For example, highfrequency tones can be tones within a pre-determined amount of 20 KHz,while low frequency tones can be tones within a pre-determined amount of20 Hz. However, other ranges are also contemplated by the presentdisclosure. In one embodiment, the frequencies utilized can be between20 Hz and 20 KHz, but the tones can be generated so as to avoidinterference with audible content, such as using a small duration of thetone (e.g., 20 ms or less). The exemplary embodiments described hereinalso contemplate utilizing frequencies that are outside of the humanaudible frequency range, such as ultrasound and/or infrasound.

The particular pattern and duration of the tones can vary. For instancethe tones can be of a uniform duration (e.g., 20 ms) or can be of avariable duration. Other durations for the tones can also be utilizedincluding less than 20 ms or more than that amount of time. In anotherembodiment, the first and/or second groups of tones can be repeatedthroughout the entirety, or a portion, of the presentation of the audiocontent. The time period between repeating the tones can vary based on anumber of factors, including resources. In one embodiment, the secondgroup of tones can be repeated each time the first group of tones isrepeated, although the present disclosure also contemplates presentingthe first and second groups of tones in different patterns.

In one or more exemplary embodiments, the tone sequences in the mediacontent and media device can be repeated every certain amount of time,so that the communication device can always detect the tone sequences inreal time.

Illustrative embodiments of methods that can operate in portions of thedevices of FIG. 1 are described below.

FIG. 2 depicts an exemplary embodiment of a communication device 200.Communication device 200 can serve in whole or in part as anillustrative embodiment of the devices depicted in FIG. 1. Thecommunication device 200 can comprise a wireline and/or wirelesstransceiver 202 (herein transceiver 202), a user interface (UI) 204, apower supply 214, a location receiver 216, and a controller 206 formanaging operations thereof. The transceiver 202 can support short-rangeor long-range wireless access technologies such as Bluetooth, WiFi,Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications (DECT), or cellularcommunication technologies, just to mention a few. Cellular technologiescan include, for example, CDMA-1X, UMTS/HSDPA, GSM/GPRS, TDMA/EDGE,EV/DO, WiMAX, SDR, LTE, as well as other next generation cellularwireless communication technologies as they arise. The transceiver 202can also be adapted to support circuit-switched wireline accesstechnologies (such as PSTN), packet-switched wireline accesstechnologies (such as TCPIP, VoIP, etc.), and combinations thereof.

The UI 204 can include a depressible or touch-sensitive keypad 208 witha navigation mechanism such as a roller ball, a joystick, a mouse, or anavigation disk for manipulating operations of the communication device200. The keypad 208 can be an integral part of a housing assembly of thecommunication device 200 or an independent device operably coupledthereto by a tethered wireline interface (such as a USB cable) or awireless interface supporting for example Bluetooth. The keypad 208 canrepresent a numeric dialing keypad commonly used by phones, and/or aQwerty keypad with alphanumeric keys. The UI 204 can further include adisplay 210 such as monochrome or color LCD (Liquid Crystal Display),OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) or other suitable display technologyfor conveying images to an end user of the communication device 200. Inan embodiment where the display 210 is touch-sensitive, a portion or allof the keypad 208 can be presented by way of the display 210 with itsnavigation features.

The UI 204 can also include an audio system 212 that utilizes commonaudio technology for conveying low volume audio (such as audio heardonly in the proximity of a human ear) and high volume audio (such asspeakerphone for hands free operation). The audio system 212 can furtherinclude a microphone for receiving audible signals of an end user. Theaudio system 212 can also be used for voice recognition applications.The UI 204 can further include an image sensor 213 such as a chargedcoupled device (CCD) camera for capturing still or moving images.

The power supply 214 can utilize common power management technologiessuch as replaceable and rechargeable batteries, supply regulationtechnologies, and charging system technologies for supplying energy tothe components of the communication device 200 to facilitate long-rangeor short-range portable applications. The location receiver 216 canutilize common location technology such as a global positioning system(GPS) receiver capable of assisted GPS for identifying a location of thecommunication device 200 based on signals generated by a constellationof GPS satellites, thereby facilitating common location services such asnavigation.

The communication device 200 can use the transceiver 202 to alsodetermine a proximity to a cellular, WiFi, Bluetooth, or other wirelessaccess points by common sensing techniques such as utilizing a receivedsignal strength indicator (RSSI) and/or a signal time of arrival (TOA)or time of flight (TOF). The controller 206 can utilize computingtechnologies such as a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP),and/or a video processor with associated storage memory such a Flash,ROM, RAM, SRAM, DRAM or other storage technologies.

The communication device 200 can be adapted to perform the functions ofthe media processor 106, the media devices 108, or the portablecommunication devices 116 of FIG. 1. It will be appreciated that thecommunication device 200 can also represent other common devices thatcan operate in communication system 100 of FIG. 1 such as a gamingconsole and a media player.

Communication device 200 can include translation software 170 thatprovides computer instructions for translating tones into information,such as the context information and/or the identification informationdescribed above with respect to system 100. Communication device 200 canrecognize tones being presented or emitted by a media device, such asfirst and second groups of tones interleaved or otherwise combined withaudio content presented by the media device, and can determine theinformation from the tones. In one embodiment, the tones representbinary ones and zeros which are then translated into the desiredinformation.

Illustrative embodiments of methods that can operate in portions of thecommunication device of FIG. 2 are described below.

FIG. 3 illustrates a communication system 300 that can deliver mediacontent to one or more media devices. System 300 can be overlaid oroperably coupled with all or a portion of system 100. System 300 caninclude an IPTV network 310 for distributing media content to mediadevice 306 (e.g., customer premises equipment). The particular mediadevice 306 receiving the media content can vary and can include an STB,a television, a computer, a DVR, a radio, a mobile phone and so forth.In this embodiment, the media device 306 is coupled with a displaydevice 308 for presentation of the media content. Although the presentdisclosure describes distribution of the media content via an IPTVnetwork 310, it should be understood that other networks can also beutilized, including other types of interactive or non-interactivenetworks.

System 300 provides a remote server 315 that inserts or otherwise adds afirst group of tones to the media content where the tones representinformation associated with the media content, such as contextinformation. Remote server 315 can be a service provider device, such aslocated at the SHO, and/or can be a third party-device, such as abroadcaster or studio device. In one embodiment, the media content andthe first group of tones can be distributed at least in part via theInternet 320. In another embodiment, the media content and the firstgroup of tones can be distributed without using the IPTV network 310.

The media device 306 can generate a second group of tones that representidentification information associated with the media device (e.g., modelnumber, software version, and so forth) and can insert or otherwise addthe second group of tones to the media content. One or morecommunication devices 316 can recognize the first and second tones whenthey are emitted or otherwise presented by the media device 306 or froma presentation device coupled with the media device, such as atelevision 308, along with the audio content that is also being emittedor presented. The recognized tones can then be used by the communicationdevice 316 for determining the information (e.g., context informationand/or identification information).

In one embodiment, the media device 306 emitting or presenting the audiocontent and the first and/or second groups of tones can be thecommunication device 316. For example, the communication device 316 canreceive a media stream from the Internet 320, where the media streamincludes the media content and the first group of tones. Thecommunication device 316 can insert or otherwise add the second group oftones to the media content and the first group of tones. Thecommunication device 316 can then emit or otherwise present the mediacontent, the first group of tones and/or the second group of tones.Another communication device 317 can recognize the tones (e.g., recordthe tones) and process the tones to determine the context informationand/or the identification information.

FIG. 4 depicts an illustrative method 400 that operates in portions ofthe systems and/or devices of FIGS. 1-3. Method 400 can begin with step402 in which information associated with media content is obtained, suchas by remote server 315. The information obtained can vary, such ascontext information and/or ancillary information, and can include theexamples described with respect to systems 100 and 300. The informationcan be obtained in various ways, such as based on metadata thataccompanies the media content and/or from other sources, including localand/or remote databases. In one embodiment, upon receipt of mediacontent that is to be distributed to users, the remote server or adevice(s) coupled with the remote server can perform a search for theinformation, such as a web-based search and/or a query of the source ofthe media content.

In step 404, a first group of tones can be generated that represent theobtained information. For example, the remote server 315 can select andgenerate tones based on frequencies that are representative of theinformation. As described herein, the tones can be distinguishable basedon frequency, such as using a binary code where one of the high or lowfrequency tones represents binary zero and the other of the high or lowfrequency tones represents binary one. The present disclosure alsocontemplates other techniques being utilized for translating the tonesinto information. For example, the tones can be distinguished based onfrequency using a non-binary technique (e.g., ternary) and/or candirectly represent alphabetical characters. In another embodiment, thetones can be distinguishable, in whole or in part, based on othercharacteristics, such as duration. For example, a tone of a firstfrequency and a first duration can represent first information (or aportion of the information such as an alphabetical character), while atone of the same first frequency but of a different second duration canrepresent different second information.

The first group of tones can be inserted or otherwise added to the audiocontent in an audio stream being delivered to the users in step 406. Theinsertion of the tones into the audio stream can be performed in variousways. For instance, the tones can be added at pre-determined intervalswith the audio content. In another embodiment, the tones can be addedduring periods of silence or of low audio content in the media content.The first group of tones can repeat at regular intervals or can repeatat irregular intervals.

In step 408, the audio stream is transmitted to the media device 306 (orthe communication device 316), such as via IPTV network 310 and/or theInternet 320. Other networks or methods of distribution are alsocontemplated. Providing an audio or media stream is intended toencompass these networks and methods, including broadcast, multicastand/or unicast techniques. In step 410, a second group of tones can begenerated which are representative of identification information for themedia device. The second group of tones can be generated at varioustimes. For instance, the second group of tones can be generated andstored by the media device 306 for use with media content upon thereceipt of the media content so that the media device is not wastingresources re-generating the tones each time media content is received.In another embodiment, the second group of tones can be generated basedon the first group of tones or other information associate with theaudio stream. For example, the media device 306 can recognize orotherwise determine the technique being utilized by the first tones fordistinguishing between tones, such as the binary example describedabove, and can then generate tones that can be distinguished using thesame technique. In another example, the particular technique to beutilized for distinguishing the tones can be identified in data otherthan in the tones, such as metadata that is embedded in the audiostream.

In step 412, the second group of tones can be inserted or otherwiseadded with the audio content and the first group of tones. The insertionof the tones into the audio stream can be performed in various ways. Forinstance, method 400 can utilize a 16 bit format for communicating themedia content information. The media device 306 can then utilize an ORbit-wise operator to add the second group of tones with the first groupof tones. The resulting sequence of tones can then be presented by themedia device so that the media content information and the media deviceidentification can be extracted from the sequence of tones. As anotherexample, the tones can be added at pre-determined intervals with theaudio content. In another embodiment, the tones can be added duringperiods of silence or of low audio content in the media content. Thesecond group of tones can repeat at regular intervals or can repeat atirregular intervals.

The media device 306 (and/or the communication device 316) can presentthe media content along with the tones that represent the media contentinformation and the media device identification in step 414. Thecommunication devices 316 and/or 317 can recognize the tones beingpresented and can extract the media content information and/or the mediadevice identification from the tones in step 416. In one embodiment, thecommunication devices 316 and/or 317 act as passive devices whendetermining the information from the presented tones since they do nottransmit any data in order to perform the determination but ratherrecord the tones and process them.

Method 400 allows for information associated with different mediacontent being provided by a service provider over various channels to becommunicated to a communication device. For instance, as the channelsare being switched, the communication device can determine channelsand/or media content being presented on the channels based on the tonesbeing presented. Method 400 can also be utilized for different serviceproviders. Once the information is determined by the communicationdevice 316, it can be used for various purposes. For instance, it can bemerely informative, such as presenting the information to the user ofthe communication device 316 (e.g., on a display or audible). Theinformation can also be utilized for providing or otherwise facilitatingmedia services for the communication device 316. For example, theinformation can include a URL that can be accessed by the communicationdevice 316 (automatically or otherwise) so that the user of thecommunication device can browse goods or services related to the mediacontent.

In one embodiment, the media device 306 can determine the informationfrom the first group of tones that have been provided with the mediastream and can present the information. For example, the media device306 can receive the media stream with the media content and the firstgroup of tones. The media device can generate the sequence of tones forpresentation while also presenting the information that is representedby the first group of tones, such as the title or actors in a movie.

Various other embodiments are also contemplated by the presentdisclosure utilizing all or portions of the devices, systems and methodsdescribed with respect to FIGS. 1-4. For example, changes in the audiocontent can be represented by changes to the sequence of tones beingpresented. For instance, the first group of tones can include sceneinformation related to the media content being presented. As the scenechanges, the first group of tones can be changed which will result in achange to the sequence of tones. The changes to the media content can berepresented by changes to the first group of tones and/or changes totones generated by the media device. For instance, the media device 306can generate the second group of tones to represent the media deviceidentification information and can also include other information in thesecond group of tones, such as changes in the media content. As oneexample, the media content can be a sporting event and the sequence oftones that are being presented can include a score of the game. As thescore changes, the sequence of tones can be altered to reflect thechange of score.

In another embodiment, the communication of the information to thecommunication device via the tones can be performed according tocommunication protocols, including existing protocols such as MP4.

FIG. 5 depicts an exemplary diagrammatic representation of a machine inthe form of a computer system 500 within which a set of instructions,when executed, may cause the machine to perform any one or more of themethods discussed above. One or more instances of the machine canoperate, for example, as the communication device 316 and/or 317, themedia device 306, the remote server 315, or combinations thereof asdescribed above. In some embodiments, the machine may be connected(e.g., using a network) to other machines. In a networked deployment,the machine may operate in the capacity of a server or a client usermachine in server-client user network environment, or as a peer machinein a peer-to-peer (or distributed) network environment.

The machine may comprise a server computer, a client user computer, apersonal computer (PC), a tablet PC, a smart phone, a laptop computer, adesktop computer, a control system, a network router, switch or bridge,or any machine capable of executing a set of instructions (sequential orotherwise) that specify actions to be taken by that machine. It will beunderstood that a communication device of the present disclosureincludes broadly any electronic device that provides voice, video ordata communication. Further, while a single machine is illustrated, theterm “machine” shall also be taken to include any collection of machinesthat individually or jointly execute a set (or multiple sets) ofinstructions to perform any one or more of the methods discussed herein.

The computer system 500 may include a processor 502 (e.g., a centralprocessing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU, or both), a mainmemory 504 and a static memory 506, which communicate with each othervia a bus 508. The computer system 500 may further include a videodisplay unit 510 (e.g., a liquid crystal display (LCD), a flat panel, ora solid state display. The computer system 500 may include an inputdevice 512 (e.g., a keyboard), a cursor control device 514 (e.g., amouse), a disk drive unit 516, a signal generation device 518 (e.g., aspeaker or remote control) and a network interface device 520.

The disk drive unit 516 may include a tangible computer-readable storagemedium 522 on which is stored one or more sets of instructions (e.g.,software 524) embodying any one or more of the methods or functionsdescribed herein, including those methods illustrated above. Theinstructions 524 may also reside, completely or at least partially,within the main memory 504, the static memory 506, and/or within theprocessor 502 during execution thereof by the computer system 500. Themain memory 504 and the processor 502 also may constitute tangiblecomputer-readable storage media.

Dedicated hardware implementations including, but not limited to,application specific integrated circuits, programmable logic arrays andother hardware devices can likewise be constructed to implement themethods described herein. Applications that may include the apparatusand systems of various embodiments broadly include a variety ofelectronic and computer systems. Some embodiments implement functions intwo or more specific interconnected hardware modules or devices withrelated control and data signals communicated between and through themodules, or as portions of an application-specific integrated circuit.Thus, the example system is applicable to software, firmware, andhardware implementations.

In accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure, themethods described herein are intended for operation as software programsrunning on a computer processor. Furthermore, software implementationscan include, but not limited to, distributed processing orcomponent/object distributed processing, parallel processing, or virtualmachine processing can also be constructed to implement the methodsdescribed herein.

While the tangible computer-readable storage medium 522 is shown in anexample embodiment to be a single medium, the term “tangiblecomputer-readable storage medium” should be taken to include a singlemedium or multiple media (e.g., a centralized or distributed database,and/or associated caches and servers) that store the one or more sets ofinstructions. The term “tangible computer-readable storage medium” shallalso be taken to include any medium that is capable of storing, encodingor carrying a set of instructions for execution by the machine and thatcause the machine to perform any one or more of the methods of thepresent disclosure.

The term “tangible computer-readable storage medium” shall accordinglybe taken to include, but not be limited to: solid-state memories such asa memory card or other package that houses one or more read-only(non-volatile) memories, random access memories, or other re-writable(volatile) memories, a magneto-optical or optical medium such as a diskor tape, or other tangible media which can be used to store information.Accordingly, the disclosure is considered to include any one or more ofa tangible computer-readable storage medium or a tangible distributionmedium, as listed herein and including art-recognized equivalents andsuccessor media, in which the software implementations herein arestored.

The present disclosure further contemplates intangible computer-readableinstructions, intangible structured or unstructured data, and/orintangible program modules in a data signal such as a modulated datasignal, e.g., a carrier wave or other transport mechanism. The term“modulated data signal” or signals refers to a signal that has one ormore of its characteristics changed in such as manner as to encodeinformation in one or more signals. By way of example, and withoutlimitation, transport media may include wired media, such as a wirednetwork or direct-wired connection, and wireless media such as acoustic,RF, infrared or other forms of wireless media.

Although the present specification describes components and functionsimplemented in the embodiments with reference to particular standardsand protocols, the disclosure is not limited to such standards andprotocols. Each of the standards for Internet and other packet switchednetwork transmission (e.g., TCP/IP, UDP/IP, HTML, HTTP) representexamples of the state of the art. Such standards are from time-to-timesuperseded by faster or more efficient equivalents having essentiallythe same functions. Wireless standards for device detection (e.g.,RFID), short-range communications (e.g., Bluetooth, WiFi, Zigbee), andlong-range communications (e.g., WiMAX, GSM, CDMA) are contemplated foruse by computer system 500.

The illustrations of embodiments described herein are intended toprovide a general understanding of the structure of various embodiments,and they are not intended to serve as a complete description of all theelements and features of apparatus and systems that might make use ofthe structures described herein. Many other embodiments will be apparentto those of skill in the art upon reviewing the above description. Otherembodiments may be utilized and derived therefrom, such that structuraland logical substitutions and changes may be made without departing fromthe scope of this disclosure. Figures are also merely representationaland may not be drawn to scale. Certain proportions thereof may beexaggerated, while others may be minimized. Accordingly, thespecification and drawings are to be regarded in an illustrative ratherthan a restrictive sense.

Although specific embodiments have been illustrated and describedherein, it should be appreciated that any arrangement calculated toachieve the same purpose may be substituted for the specific embodimentsshown. This disclosure is intended to cover any and all adaptations orvariations of various embodiments. Combinations of the aboveembodiments, and other embodiments not specifically described herein,will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reviewing the abovedescription.

The Abstract of the Disclosure is provided with the understanding thatit will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of theclaims. In addition, in the foregoing Detailed Description, it can beseen that various features are grouped together in a single embodimentfor the purpose of streamlining the disclosure. This method ofdisclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that theclaimed embodiments require more features than are expressly recited ineach claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive subjectmatter lies in less than all features of a single disclosed embodiment.Thus the following claims are hereby incorporated into the DetailedDescription, with each claim standing on its own as a separately claimedsubject matter.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method comprising: generating, by a systemincluding a processor, a media stream that includes audio content and afirst group of tones, wherein the first group of tones represents firstinformation associated with the audio content; and transmitting, by thesystem over a network, the media stream to a media device to enable themedia device to add a second group of tones to the audio content and thefirst group of tones and to enable the media device to present the audiocontent, the first group of tones and the second group of tones, whereinthe first and second groups of tones comprise high frequency tones andlow frequency tones, wherein one of the high and low frequency tonesrepresents a binary one and the other of the high and low frequencytones represents a binary zero, wherein the second group of tonesrepresents second information associated with the media device, andwherein the audio content and the first and second group of tones arerecordable by a communication device, that is separate from the mediadevice, to enable the communication device to determine the firstinformation based on the first group of tones and to enable thecommunication device to determine the second information based on thesecond group of tones.
 2. The method of claim 1, comprising: obtaining,by the system, the first information associated with media content thatincludes audio content; and generating, by the system, the first groupof tones.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first informationcomprises identification of a content provider distributing mediacontent that includes the audio content.
 4. The method of claim 1,wherein the media device adds the second group of tones to the firstgroup of tones using an OR bit-wise operator.
 5. The method of claim 1,wherein the media stream includes video content, and wherein the audiocontent is associated with the video content.
 6. The method of claim 1,wherein the first and second groups of tones are presented by the mediadevice at frequencies outside of a human audible frequency range.
 7. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the second information identifies the mediadevice.
 8. The method of claim 1, comprising: receiving, by the system,media content including video content, the audio content and metadatadescribing the media content, wherein the audio content is associatedwith the video content; analyzing, by the system, the metadata todetermine the first information associated with the audio content; andgenerating, by the system, the first group of tones to be representativeof the first information.
 9. The method of claim 1, wherein the firstinformation comprises a title, an actor, a singer, a song or acombination thereof that is associated with the audio content.
 10. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the first information comprises accessinformation that enables the communication device to access a source ofthe audio content that is different from the media device.
 11. A mediadevice, comprising: a processor; and a memory that stores executableinstructions that, when executed by the processor, facilitateperformance of operations, comprising: receiving, over a network, amedia stream that includes audio content and a first group of tones,wherein the first group of tones represents first information associatedwith the audio content; presenting the audio content, the first group oftones and a second group of tones, wherein the first and second group oftones is presented during the presenting of the audio content, whereinthe second group of tones represents second information associated withthe media device, and wherein the presenting of the first and secondgroup of tones enables a communication device, that is separate from themedia device, to determine the first information based on the firstgroup of tones and to determine the second information based on thesecond group of tones.
 12. The media device of claim 11, wherein thefirst and second groups of tones comprise high frequency tones and lowfrequency tones, wherein one of the high and low frequency tonesrepresents a binary one and the other of the high and low frequencytones represents a binary zero.
 13. The media device of claim 11,wherein the first information comprises a title, an actor, a singer, asong or a combination thereof that is associated with the audio content.14. The media device of claim 11, wherein the first informationcomprises access information that enables the communication device toaccess a source of the audio content that is different from the mediadevice.
 15. The media device of claim 11, wherein the first informationcomprises identification of a content provider distributing mediacontent that includes the audio content.
 16. A computer-readable storagedevice, comprising computer instructions which, responsive to beingexecuted by a processor of a mobile communication device, cause theprocessor to perform operations comprising: recording sound presented bya media device, wherein the sound comprises audio content and a sequenceof tones, and wherein the sequence of tones represents informationassociated with the audio content; analyzing the sequence of tones todetermine the information; and presenting the information at the mobilecommunication device based on the analyzing of the sequence of tones.17. The computer-readable storage device of claim 16, wherein thesequence of tones comprises a first group of tones generated frommetadata associated with the audio content.
 18. The computer-readablestorage device of claim 17, wherein the sequence of tones comprises asecond group of tones generated by the media device and combined withthe first group of tones.
 19. The computer-readable storage device ofclaim 16, wherein the information comprises identification of a contentprovider, a title, an actor, a singer, a song, access information or acombination thereof that is associated with the audio content, whereinthe access information enables the communication device to access asource of the audio content that is different from the media device. 20.The computer-readable storage device of claim 16, wherein the analyzingof the sequence of tones to determine the information comprisesanalyzing frequencies of each tone of the sequence of tones, durationsof each tone of the sequence of tones, or a combination thereof.